Chhattisgarh: Apna Ghar workers alleged they have been manhandled by officers
Bhopal:
Fourteen HIV-positive youngsters at a shelter house run by a non-profit in Chhattisgarh’s Bilaspur have been allegedly dragged out by officers who had orders from the district administration to shut the power. CCTV footage exhibits a lawyer who has been representing the kids in opposition to being shifted from the power being pushed by officers.
A police case has been filed in opposition to the lawyer, Priyanka Shukla, after the incident at Apna Ghar the place 14 youngsters between 4 and 18 years previous have been staying. The police mentioned Ms Shukla began a combat with the officers who had gone to close down the power.
When NGO workers Deepika Singh requested for a duplicate of the order to close down the power, the officers began manhandling her, dragged out the kids and refused to provide a duplicate of the eviction order, Apna Ghar director Sanjeev Thakkar advised NDTV on telephone. He shared audio recordings of the kids calling him and complaining of alleged misbehaviour by the officers.
Ladies and Little one Improvement Division officers, accompanied by the police, had gone to the power.
Bilaspur senior police officer Prashant Agrawal denied the officers manhandled the lawyer or the kids. “The officers acted as per the orders of the collector. It was the lawyer Priyanka Shukla who received right into a brawl with the officers, who suffered bruises. Shukla was arrested on a criticism by Ladies and Little one Welfare Officer Parvati Verma,” Mr Agrawal mentioned.
The NGO’s director Sanjeev Thakkar mentioned Apna Ghar is Chhattisgarh’s solely shelter house for HIV sufferers run by a non-profit. He mentioned he has been operating the shelter house for a number of years with volunteers. A police case has additionally been filed in opposition to Mr Thakkar, who mentioned he was not on the constructing when the incident occurred.
With a excessive month-to-month expense of Rs 75,000, Mr Thakkar mentioned they determined to use for a grant from the Ladies and Little one growth Division, including their troubles began quickly after that.
Mr Thakkar alleged some officers demanded a “30 per cent fee” from the grant, and when he refused, the officers checked the shelter house and claimed they’ve discovered sure discrepancies and really useful cancellation of the NGO’s registration and shifting of the kids.
Mr Thakkar mentioned after they met with Ladies and Little one Improvement Minister Anila Bhediya, the minister requested questions like how did the kids get contaminated with HIV.
The matter then reached the Bilaspur Excessive Court docket, which ordered the collector to listen to Apna Ghar and take a call. In March this 12 months, collector Sanjay Alang ordered officers to shift the kids. In his order, he mentioned a second report has additionally cited irregularities on the shelter house.
The youngsters mentioned they do not wish to depart Apna Ghar citing discrimination that they had confronted even within the firm of their kinfolk and at government-run shelter houses.
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